Report · Culture

Many Americans put moral beliefs at the center of who they are

Reading

For Americans, the essential self is above all a moral one, a May 2026 Verasight survey finds: 42% say the most essential part of themselves is their moral beliefs and actions.

The alternatives bunch together well behind: the way a person experiences the world stands at 15%, the parts of them that are unique at 13%, memories at 13%, and desires and goals at 12%. Just 4% say something else.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

Many Americans put moral beliefs at the center of who they are.

What is the most essential part of your self?

  • My moral beliefs and actions 42.4%
  • The way I experience the world 15.3%
  • The parts of me that are unique 13.5%
  • My memories 12.6%
  • My desires and goals 12.2%
  • Something else 4.0%

2026 · base n 526 · +/- 4.6%

identity

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
Base (unweighted)
526
Margin of error
+/- 4.6%
Module
identity

Source

Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=526 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.6%.

https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.